Consumers Showing Little Fear of 'Fiscal Cliff'

By

Ben Casselman

Updated Oct. 15, 2012 9:43 a.m. ET

Consumers are hurtling toward the fiscal cliff—even if they don't realize it yet.

So far, much of the discussion around the "fiscal cliff"—billions of dollars of tax increases and federal spending cuts set to take effect at the end of the year—has focused on businesses. Corporate executives have warned for months that they will have to slow spending and cut jobs if Congress and the president don't act to avert, or at least...